Eugene Maurakis
University of Richmond, VA·Ecology & Evolution
When danger strikes, animals in a group often act selfishly. Each one pushes toward the safest spot, letting its neighbors take the risk.
- Fields
Ecology & Evolution
Biology
Earth & Environmental Science
- Topics
selfish herd theory
parental care
nest association
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Dec 2026
What they work on
- Determine how dissolved oxygen levels change the link between an egg's position in a mixed-species nest and its survival, using field measurements and computational fluid dynamics simulations of water, silt and oxygen inside minnow mound nests.
- Test whether host minnows place their own eggs in the safest nest locations among other species' eggs, a selfish-herd effect, by genetically identifying the eggs at each location and measuring predation risk there.
- Record nest building, spawning, aggressive combat and cooperative-competitive behavior of mound-nesting minnows, by direct observation and videography, to interpret how they place and defend eggs.
- Share the breeding behaviors and ecosystem roles of native freshwater fishes with the public through a science-based documentary and artistic performances.
More about the research
This is the idea behind Hamilton's selfish-herd theory. Much less is known about whether parents do the same thing for their offspring. This project asks that question about mound-nest building minnows, freshwater fish found only in North America. Several species lay eggs together in a single nest of piled gravel. A shared nest like this has often been described either as cooperation or as nest parasitism, where one species exploits another's care. The project asks a different question: does the nest-building host fish place its own eggs in the best spots, using the other species' eggs as a protective 'herd'?
Why it matters
The work could change how scientists interpret 'nest parasitism' in fishes and birds, showing that some of these cases may be mutual benefits that depend on context. It will also document the little-studied breeding behaviors and ecosystem roles of North America's native mound-nesting minnows. Sharing this knowledge with the public through a documentary and performances could build support for conserving these freshwater fishes.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Matthew Troia
University of Texas at San Antonio, TX·Ecology & Evolution·Early-career
Measure acute cold and heat tolerance, acclimation potential, and energy budgets in three tropical and three related temperate freshwater fishes. Use these lab experiments to test whether tropical and temperate species differ in thermal physiology.
Michael Smith
Auburn University, AL·Ecology & Evolution
Produce the first 3-dimensional description of how Western honeybee (Apis mellifera) nests are organized as colonies grow, develop and reproduce, using a field-ready photography rig to image combs over time.
Clinton Francis
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, CA·Ecology & Evolution
Test whether noise and light pollution consistently favor a similar set of traits across six songbird species that differ in life history and tolerance of humans.
The school
University of Richmond: 2 labs on PI Pages, $3M a year on research.
Reach out
A start for your email. Fill in the brackets.